A teddy bear made of human placenta.

A teddy bear made of human placenta.

A <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Health/MindMoodNews/placenta-teddy-bear-turns-heads/story?id=9043347&page=1" target="external">teddy bear made of human placenta</a> has set off an international storm of disgust though some support the idea of making afterbirth into a keepsake.

Courtesy Alex Green

New Cocktails Inspired by Gulf Oil Spill Disaster

When they wash ashore, tar balls are tragic proof of the oil spill ravaging the Gulf of Mexico. They're also the bittersweet inspiration for one of Anvil Bar & Refuge's latest drinks. This Tar Ball cocktail was created by Bobby Heugel, the co-owner of the Houston bar. Heugel concocted the cocktail in response to a request made to local bartenders by <a href="http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ent/7099823.html" target="external">The Houston Chronicle</a>. It's made with Cruzan Black Strap rum, Del Maguey Cichicapa Mezcal, Taylor's Velvet Falernum and Angostura bitters.

Handout

Tar Ball Cocktail: New Drinks Inspired by Gulf Oil Spill

Anthony Montz, the mixologist of the Hearsay Gastro Lounge in Houston, knows that when black truffle mousse-stuffed olives are dropped in ice-cold vodka, the oil in the olives bubbles to the top in a fashion not unlike the bubbling above the busted BP oil well. "It looks just like the footage BP shows," Montz said. Montz uses Double Cross Vodka for this spill-inspired drink, dubbed "The Slick," which he created in response to a request by The Houston Chronicle. Montz hopes that when oil industry engineers and seafood fishermen drop by the bar for a drink, seeing "The Slick" on the menu will provoke "healthy debate." Double Cross CEO Malcolm Lloyd thinks the drink will resonate beyond Hearsay. "It plays on what is certainly a relevant topic for Houston and the rest of the country," he said.

Julie Soefer

"Slick of This" Cocktail

Sick of the oil spill and need a drink? You might want to consider the Branch Water Tavern's "Slick of This" cocktail. Evan Turner, a managing partner and the beverage director for the Houston bar, created the drink in response to a request made to local bartenders by <a href="http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ent/7099823.html" target="external">The Houston Chronicle</a>. It's made with Citadelle Gin, Campari, Crism Organic Hibiscus Liquer and lime juice. The drink, Turner said, is refreshing, "but there's a slight edge of bitterness to it, which is apropos."

Kimberly Park

strange products

"Have smelly co-workers that sleep in too much? Give them the gift of Shower Shock." That's the pitch for Shower Shock, a bath soap that contains 2,400 milligrams of caffeine. The soap's makers say that since caffeine can be absorbed through the skin, the soap can give you the "ultimate clean buzz." A bar of Shower Shock sells for $6.99 at ThinkGeek.com.

amazon.com

Weirdest Consumer Products

Vice President Joe Biden's obscene slip of the tongue in describing the passage of the landmark health care bill has been deemed T-shirt worthy by BarackObama.com, the Web site for Organizing for America, the group born out of Obama's presidential campaign. The site's store section now includes a T-shirt that reads "Health Reform is a BFD," for 'big f**king deal." The site says shipments of the $25 shirts could take six to eight weeks because of "high demand."

http://store.barackobama.com

Consumer Products

Anheuser-Busch, the maker of Budweiser, is suing the Maryland company, Baby Beer Bottles, Inc., for selling 16-ounce Bunwiper and Little Tike baby bottles that the beer maker says infringes on its trademarks, according to a report and lawsuit posted on the <a href="http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/years/2010/0309101babybeer1.html" target="external">SmokingGun.com</a>. On a cached Web site for Baby Beer Bottles, the company refers to the $19.99 products as gag gifts.

thesmokinggun.com

Consumer Products

The sales pitch for Handerpants -- which looks like fingerless gloves made in the same design of traditional men's briefs -- is more than a little tongue-in-cheek: "Talk about sexy. You'll have to hold the ladies back after they get a glimpse of these tighty-whities." But the Handerpants Web site and infomercial also list specific uses for the $11.95 product, including as a liner for gloves that might prevent chafing.

Courtesy Archie McPhee

Weird Businesses Baby Bangs

Love your baby girl, but wish she was a bit less bald? A Missouri hair replacement and make-up artist has a solution for you: Lisa Campbell, the founder of Baby Bangs, creates "hair extension headband made exclusively for baby girls." The hair extensions, which come in five hairband designs and six hair colors, are for sale on the Baby Bangs Web site for $29.95.

Courtesy Baby Bangs

Consumer Products

A stuffed teddy bear that attaches to seat belts, the Tiddy Bear may have a snicker-worthy name but its makers say it tackles a real problem: the discomfort associated with the pressure a seat belt strap puts on a person's shoulder and neck. It sells for $14.95.

Courtesy Amazon.com

Consumer Products

Need to carry your dog places but want to keep your hands free for running errands? The makers of the Pup to Go dog carriers say they've got the solution for you: a $125 dog carrier that straps onto a person's chest and abdomen.

Courtesy Pup To Go

Consumer Products

Makers of the ubiquitous Snuggie fleece blanket aren't satisfied with dressing humans -- they've set their sights on their four-legged companions. The Snuggie for Dogs is advertised as keeping dogs warm while being easier to put on than traditional dog clothing. It sells for $14.95.

Courtesy Amazon.com

Consumer Products

Advertised as the "first improvement to toilet paper as we know it since the 1880s," the $19.99 Comfort Wipe is supposed to provide a sanitary alternative to handling toilet paper. It is an 18-inch "paper extension arm and holder" that holds toilet paper on one end, according to its infomercial. The toilet paper can be released at the click of a button at the top of the device. Those with physical or mobility limitations are among the product's target consumers.

Courtesy Amazon.com

Consumer Products

The makers of the Big Daddy Driver actually want you to laugh at their product. It is, after all, a combination golf club and weed whacker. The inspiration for the $49.95 club came after one of its creators found his golf ball buried in Bermuda grass. The situation, according to the Web site, prompted his golfing buddy -- and future co-creator -- to joke, "You'll need a weed whacker for that."